


Coming home for the Holidays

by Soyna



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-02 16:46:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2819201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soyna/pseuds/Soyna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud brings Sephiroth home to meet his mother for the holidays for the first time.</p><p>This is a Silver Elite Secret Santa for the great Tomowowowo</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tomowowowo](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=tomowowowo).



> Disclaimer:  
> Don’t own Final Fantasy VII, just using for my own amusement. There is no profit from this endeavour.

Cloud was nervous. 

He was returning to a place which he had never planned on. He chewed on his thumbnail and tapped his foot rapidly on the floor of the truck. He hadn’t been home since he was fifteen.

It wasn’t just about facing the people that used to bully him, or Tifa, whom he used to have a crush on. He had been very bad about updating his mother on his life. He had given her phone calls and letters, but they were few and far between.

Life at Shin-Ra was busy, but it didn’t excuse the fact that he hadn’t been talking to his mother.  
Or telling her that he was now a Second Class SOLDIER.

Or that his significant other was Sephiroth.

The last phone call was a month ago. She was nearly in tears when she asked him to please come home on a visit. She missed him, and he couldn’t say no to her. He had to pull a lot of favours to get the time off.

He had planned on coming alone to visit his mother, give her a bunch of presents, ignore the questions about his relationships, then go back to Shin-Ra and the apartment which he shared with Sephiroth.

But Sephiroth found out and had joined him in the truck with his arms crossed, his head tilted down as he slept in the bouncy vehicle. Cloud was very nervous about introducing his mother to Sephiroth. His mother had always been anxious for him to find a ‘good woman’ so that she could have grandchildren. It was going to be hard for her to know that the life that he chose would not allow him to have children of his own.

“Quit biting your nail,” Sephiroth whispered. “You’re going to start gnawing on your bone soon if you keep this up.”

“I can’t help it,” Cloud said as he put his hand into his lap. “I told you how headstrong Mama is.”

Sephiroth cocked his head toward him. He was smirking in a way that normally would have made Cloud smile back. “I have met her son.”

“Not funny.” Cloud pouted and crossed his arms.

“I don’t find it amusing that you have hardly spoken to your mother,” Sephiroth said as stretched as much as he could in the confines of the back seat. They were both in casual clothing but it made Sephiroth nonetheless sexy in his tight black jeans, open black leather winter coat and a T-shirt. “Especially about the two most important things in your life.”

Sephiroth had already given Cloud a stern lecture about not talking to his mother about him, and how he never told her that he made in into SOLDIER and was on track to making it to First in another year.

Cloud ran his hands over his face and groaned. “You don’t understand,” he whimpered and looked at Sephiroth. “Mama is really stubborn.” The raised eyebrowhe got as a response made him cover his face again. “I know. I know. I already said that.”

“You did. It will either go really bad, or it will go really well,” Sephiroth said. “Either way, you will have to let your mother know.” Sephiroth put his hand in Cloud’s hair and gently ruffled it. 

Cloud looked through his fingers at him. “It won’t change how I feel about you.”

“Good. You’ll tell your mother the news that you have been a Second Class SOLDIER for over a year, and you will also tell her that you have been in a relationship with me for over five,” Sephiroth said and grabbed his hands and gripped them firmly. “And then we will either have a wonderful dinner together, or we will end up being thrown into the snow and spending time at the inn.”

“Why do you put up with me?” Cloud mumbled as he gave Sephiroth a sheepish grin.

“Because you’re the only one who ever tells me the way it is, and you have an adorable ass,” Sephiroth quipped.

Cloud was about to protest, but as he usually did, Sephiroth kissed him to keep his protests at bay. It was a very distracting kiss that only stopped with the braking of the truck. The driver called back, “We’re here, sirs.”

“Good. I’ll get the bags from the trunk,” Sephiroth said with a gentle kiss on Cloud’s nose before gathering himself up and exiting the vehicle. 

Cloud looked out the window and saw the door of the small house that he grew up in. It looked the same, only a little older. The windows had different curtains and the door needed to be painted. The walk was shoveled and the snow was piled high along the walks. In one of the windows he could see the same small tree that his mother set on the table every year, sparkling with red and green lights.

He heard the truck pop open. He couldn’t have Sephiroth going to the front door first. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the startling cold and walked to his childhood home and knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately and his mother was there, looking very much the same as when he last saw her. Her hair was longer and she was thinner, but it was still his mother. “Hi, Mama,” he said and gave her sheepish smile.

“Cloudy!” she said and threw her arms out wide. He was tackled into a hug. He quickly wrapped his arms around her. She was a lot shorter than he remembered. He was a head taller than her now and was able to put his face into her hair. It had been way too long since he had been home. “My baby boy.”

His face turned red as he hugged his mother on the doorstep.

She finally pulled away and put her hands on his cheeks. He was able to see that there were tears in her blue eyes as she peered up at him. “You’re all grown up. And look at your eyes! You have SOLDIER eyes.”

“Yeah, Mama.”

Her face twisted into a stern look and she slapped his arm.

He cringed even though it didn’t really hurt. “You promised to write all the time and call, and you didn’t do either!” He was hit in the arm again. “You were going to come back and make me proud.” She used her fist for the third hit and it was really starting to hurt. “And now you're a man … “ Her eyes overflowed with tears and she made a gasping sound. “You jerk!” She hit him right in the stomach and then hugged him again and was full out sobbing into his chest.

His heart felt heavy as he held her and rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Cloud whispered as he lifted her into the warmth of the house. He looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth who had their duffels and the bag of gifts that he had brought for his mother. “I was being selfish.”

It sounded like she was trying to talk but the sobs were slurring her words so badly he couldn’t understand her. He lifted her gently as he stepped inside the house and headed toward the kitchen with her still clinging to his chest.

Cloud looked over to see Sephiroth enter with the bags and silently place them to the side. He stood by the door with raised eyebrows and a tilted head.

“Mama?” he whispered into her spiky blonde hair. It had a lot more grey in it than he remembered her having. “I’m sorry.”

She pulled away and slapped his arm again. This time he winced and mouthed, ‘ow’. “You better be!”

That was when she noticed Sephiroth standing in her house. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the tall SOLDIER standing there, looking at them with concern on his face.

“Cloud! You didn’t say you were bringing a guest!” She slapped him again. He was going to have a bruise if she kept slapping him in the same spot.  
“You didn’t let me tell you yet, Mama,” Cloud said and put his hand on her shoulder. “Mama, this is Sephiroth.”

She frantically wiped at her eyes and nose with her hands while sniffing loudly. Sephiroth spotted a tissue box on an entry table. He quickly grabbed it and handed it over to her. “Here you go, ma’am.”

She took a few tissues from the box and looked up at him. “Thank you. Now, if you two will give me a moment to compose myself.” Cloud watched his mother dart to the bathroom and close the door quickly behind her.

Cloud had never felt so guilty in his life than he did in that moment.

“You didn’t tell her you were bringing a friend?”

“Well, I didn’t think she was going to cry like that,” Cloud said and looked at Sephiroth who was still holding the tissue box. “I’m such a bad son.”

He felt like he was going to cry himself. He only remembered his mom crying once when he was a kid. It was after his fifth birthday and they had just had a party together. She made him a cupcake and got him some new clothes. It was a good birthday. She had even gotten him some balloons that he was able to bat around the room with their cat at the time. He had asked later that night why she was crying, but she didn’t really answer him. He was given an answer such that parents give their children when they don't want to burden them with the horrors of being an adult. He had been heartbroken as she said that she was crying because he was growing up to be a fine man.

Sephiroth’s arm wrapped around his shoulders and he pulled him into a side hug. “She missed you more than you thought?”

“Yeah,” he whispered and sniffed himself. He was trying to stop himself from crying, too. He felt really stupid for ignoring his mother because of his hatred for Nibelheim and the bullies that filled it.

They stood in silence and watched the bathroom door until it opened and his mother walked out with her face washed. Her blue eyes were still rimmed with red but the smile on her face seemed genuine.

“Mama?”

“I’m okay, Cloud,” she said. “I was a little overwhelmed, is all. I missed you. I’m so happy that you finally made your way home. I have the kettle warm. Would you like cocoa? Oh! I’m being silly. You’re two grown men. I can make you coffee if you like.”

“Hot cocoa will be fine, Mrs. Strife,” Sephiroth said. “On cold days, I tend to like sweet drinks.”

She nodded as she looked up at him. “I even have mini marshmallows.”

“Mom,” Cloud whined.

“That would be great,” Sephiroth said with a large grin and pulled away from Cloud. “Can I help you in the kitchen, Mrs. Strife?”

“You’re a guest. Cloud, why don’t you put your bags in your old room and then we can catch up.” She smiled brightly and went to the kitchen and pulled down the big mugs which were the same ones that he remembered from his childhood.

Taking a deep breath, Cloud looked up at Sephiroth. “Let’s go. I’ll show you to my room.”

Together they grabbed the bags and they walked to the small room where Cloud spent his childhood. He did not expect to be the same as he left it as he noticed how little things had changed. It was embarrassing to see a giant Sephiroth poster on his wall, the Shin-Ra propaganda everywhere, and his old stuffed chocobo still sitting on his pillow. He turned beet red as he noticed Sephiroth’s smiling.

“Cute,” Sephiroth said.

He wanted to rip everything off the walls and hide it all under the bed.

“Just like you.”

“Shut up.”

“What was the chocobo’s name?”

“Shut up!” Cloud said and swatted at Sephiroth as he picked up his old stuffed bird. It did have a name. He called it Bell. He couldn’t remember why he called it that but he couldn’t sleep unless Bell was with him in bed. “It’s Bell,” he whispered in response.

“That’s … “

“Say ‘cute’ again and I will stuff you in a snowbank,” Cloud said threateningly. He could see that Sephiroth wanted to say it again, but he kept his mouth shut as he took in the room and fixated on the old poster of himself. Cloud could see that he was trying to hide his smile but he was not succeeding.

“Cocoa is ready, boys!” Cloud heard his mother calling from the kitchen.

Before they could leave the room, Sephiroth grabbed his arm and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I love you,” he whispered after pulling away.

“I love you, too,” Cloud said. “Let’s go have cocoa with Mama.” 

They made themselves comfortable at the table. The kitchen hadn’t changed since he left and he went to the spot that had been his. The cups were full of rich-smelling chocolate with white gooey marshmallows floating on the top. Each contained a long spoon to swirl the warm beverage around.

“Thanks, Mama.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Strife.”

“You’re welcome. I have a roast in the oven for dinner later. It will take another couple of hours. Luckily there will be enough for all of us, as I made sure there would be enough leftovers for roast beef sandwiches. You still like leftover roast beef sandwiches, Cloud?”

“Yes, Mama,” Cloud said with a smile. “That sounds great.”

“Sorry for surprising you, Mrs. Strife. I only found out at the last minute what Cloud’s plans were, and I could not let him come alone,” Sephiroth said. Cloud kicked him under the table but Sephiroth didn’t flinch.

“I’m just glad Cloud is home and has such a good friend,” she said. “And a General on top of that. I knew that he would be a good SOLDIER and it would be good for him.”

“He is a wonderful SOLDIER indeed. He is well on his way to getting to First Class within the next year,” Sephiroth said as he swirled the cocoa. 

“I knew you would make it,” his mother said as she took a sip of her own cocoa. She smiled brightly at both of them. “As much as it hurt when you left, I knew that only good would come from it.”

Cloud looked at his lap.

“You always were so good at so many things, even as a little boy. You fixed my stove, the roof, the stairs, and even glued that vase together so well that I didn’t even know that it had been broken for ten years! You were always very skillful with your hands. I knew something good was going to happen, and you were going to be someone.” She beamed and Cloud felt like slinking under the table. 

“He has accomplished a lot. The first time that he fixed one of the jeeps it was with a belt and a bucket of water. His uniform was covered in grease, but we were able to make it to the town,” Sephiroth said.

Cloud felt his face turn bright red under the gaze of his mother and Sephiroth who was hiding his smirk behind his mug. He kicked him again and was grateful to at least see him jerk slightly.

A bell went off in the kitchen. He watched his mother jump up and clap her hands. “I need you two to tell me all about Midgar before supper is done.”

* * *

Cloud ate more than he should have, and he thought he was going to burst. “That was the best meal I had in ages,” Cloud mumbled as he rubbed his stomach. There was nothing better than his mother's cooking. 

“I have to agree,” Sephiroth said. “I need the recipe for how you do this. I’ve made roast before, but it did not come out like this at all.”

“You two!” She gushed. “I don’t know if you have room for dessert, but I made some vanilla loco cake.”

Cloud licked his lips at the thought of her homemade cake. “Really?”

“Loco cake?”

“It makes it spicy sweet! It’s hard to find blooming loco weed so that it can be used to bake with!” Cloud explained. “A small slice for both of us, Mama.”

Sephiroth looked wary, but when she took away the dinner plates and then brought him a thin slice of white cake with whipped cream, he looked a little startled.

“It’s really good. I promise,” Cloud said and dug in. It melted in his mouth and would have asked for more if he wasn’t already full. The surprised look on Sephiroth’s face told him that he liked it as well. 

“Mrs. Strife, I’m going to take you back with me so you can be my personal chef!” Sephiroth said. Cloud raised his eyebrows as he took another large forkful and stuffed it into his mouth.

Cloud’s mother giggled and smiled brightly. “I’m so happy that you liked the meal! Now, I will make some nice relaxing tea and then you two can rest. Sephiroth, you can have my room. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”

Sephiroth tilted his head and frowned. “That will not do. You should have your own room. I don’t mind taking the couch. It will be more comfortable than any ground that I have slept on while on missions.”

“But …”  
“No buts,” Sephiroth said. 

“But you can’t even fit on the couch,” she protested as she looked him up and down. “It’s more of a loveseat than a couch.”

Cloud snickered. He got a glare from his mother and Sephiroth but that didn’t stop his smile as he finished the rest of the cake on his plate. He was so full now that he was pretty sure that he was going to explode.

“The floor in front of the fire looks comfortable,” Sephiroth said.

“No, I will not have that,” she said. She stood with her arms across her chest and her feet planted. “I will go to Mr. Lockhart and ask him for a cot. He should have a cot there so you can at least have something that is not as hard as the floor. I’ll rush over there and get it.”

“As long as I have a …” Sephiroth began, but she raised her hand.

“I will hear nothing more of it. After I clean the dishes, and have the tea made, I’ll hurry on over to get it.”

“Why don’t you phone him, Mama?” Cloud asked as he started to gather the plates before she could reach them.

“You know the phone doesn’t work,” she said. “That’s why you had to write me the letters or you had to leave messages at the inn.”

“I sent you money to get it fixed.” Cloud stood with his hands full of dishes and looked at his mother.

“I had to use the money to fix the chocobo barn or else they would have been running everywhere. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that,” she said. “Let me take the dishes.”

“No,” Sephiroth said. “You’ve already served us a wonderful meal. We shall clean up while you go fetch the cot before it gets too dark and cold.” He stepped in between them and took the cup that she had in her hand. “When you get back, we will have the fire stoked and warm tea for you.”

“But, you’re my guests.” She had a defeated sound to her voice. 

“Yes, we are. But as your guest, I want to help out. You have already outdone yourself with your hospitality.” 

Cloud refrained from rolling his eyes. Sephiroth was using diplomacy on his mother and he could see that it was working. 

“Well, all right. If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Sephiroth said, turning with the dishes he claimed from her and added them to the ones already in Cloud’s hands.

“Hey!” he protested as he balanced the delicate load.

Cloud’s mother smiled and nodded. “It won’t take me long. Things are where they always have been. Don’t break anything,” she said and shuffled off to the closet where she stored her winter clothing and began dressing. “I did buy some new tea. It’s called ‘Chocobo Wonder’. They just got it in the store and it’s the most wonderful tea I’ve had. Make sure you make a strong, steaming potful.”

“Of course, Mama,” Cloud said as he started to get the water running in the sink. He noted that the hot water wasn’t that hot and the cold water came out as a trickle. He would have to take a look at her pipes to make sure they were okay. He immediately started the dishes while Sephiroth ensured the stove was still warm and filled the kettle.

“I like your mother,” Sephiroth said with a grin.

“Yeah, well. We haven’t told her the big news yet,” Cloud said with his arms deep in the sink.

Sephiroth leaned against the counter and smirked at him. “And when are you going to finally tell her?”

Cloud blushed and looked down at the soapy water. He shrugged. “When the time is right?”

“And when will that be?” Sephiroth hardened his look, and Cloud shrank in on himself a bit. 

“When she comes back.”

“Good answer.”

“She still won’t let us sleep together,” Cloud said as he put a dish on the drying tray. Sephiroth grabbed a towel and began to dry it. “Plus, my bed will barely fit me, never mind you and your long legs.”

“I could wrap them around you,” Sephiroth purred as he leaned close. Cloud rolled his eyes and pushed himself up to give him a quick kiss, and then resumed the dishes.

* * *

Cloud was startled that his mother hadn’t returned yet. He looked out the window. “It’s been an hour!” 

Sephiroth was poking the fire. He had kept it going without the use of materia, and he was quite proud of that. Usually he had to use materia, especially if Genesis was around. The diva always complained about cold feet. “Maybe she got held up talking with the mayor.”

Cloud really didn’t want to go to the mayor’s house. He wanted a peaceful time with his mother and Sephiroth, and to not have to deal with what the townsfolk thought of him. He would have years of therapy ruined if they started to blame him for Tifa nearly dying back on that bridge. It wasn’t his fault, and he had actually saved her. The townsfolk never understood that. Tifa had never been mad at him for what had happened, but she had never stuck up for him either.

“Let’s go help. We’ll tell Mama that we were gathering more firewood. I don’t want her to think that I was worried,” Cloud said as he jogged to the door.

Sephiroth followed and dressed himself. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“I know. It’s just,” Cloud took a deep breath, “the only good memory I have of this town is Mama, and I don’t want that lost to me.”

Sephiroth put his arms around him in a comforting hug. “Understood. Let’s go find her and maybe I can have a chat with the mayor.”

Cloud rolled his eyes and slapped Sephiroth’s chest. “No threatening to kill him! It wasn’t his fault.”

“That’s not how I understand the situation. But I won’t threaten to burn his house down or cut him in two.” Sephiroth said, as he turned towards the door. “Yet,” he said under his breath. Cloud heard him and slapped him hard on his ass, causing the great General Sephiroth to jump and give a surprised grunt.

As they left the warmth of the small cottage and trekked towards the mayor’s house, the bitter cold caused Cloud to huddle in on himself. 

“Get back inside, ya dolt!” a man yelled from a window of the bar as they passed it. “The Bombs have iced up and are on a rampage.” The window slammed as quickly as it opened and didn’t give time for Cloud to ask any questions.

Not that he needed any more explanation as a blue Bomb bobbed around the corner of a building and gave a gurgly roar, then started towards him. What the monsters were doing down from the mountain was beyond him. He hoped there wasn’t something wrong with the reactor that was causing them to come down into the town.

Sephiroth threw a fireball and the Bomb quickly disintegrated.

Cloud growled and pulled a sword out for each hand. He had to find his mother. He slashed two that were hardly worth the effort as he followed the path to the mayor’s house.

His only thought was getting to his mother and making sure she was okay. The main entrance to the mayor’s house was blocked by two small Bombs and one very large one. Cloud didn’t hesitate. He shot a lightning bolt that sent one into a puff of smoke, and he cut the other small one in half.

The large one turned around, bobbed angrily and grew another size. Sephiroth slashed at it and cut it in half as it dissolved into the Lifestream. The door of the house opened and Cloud saw the man that he remembered being the mayor. He was a lot greyer and fatter than he remembered, but it was still Tifa’s father.

“Thank goodness you showed up. Those Bombs were being persistent!” the mayor said and held out his hand. Cloud did not let go of his blades as he looked at him.

“Is Mrs. Strife here?” He couldn’t help but let the cold enter his voice. If the mayor recognized who Cloud was, Cloud was certain that he wouldn’t be so grateful. The man was known for being self-centered.

“Oh. Yes. Yes, she is inside. She made it just in time,” the mayor said and pointed to the door. “Those Bombs chased her here and we couldn’t let her go out with those monsters around.” 

Sephiroth took a stance beside him. “Are the Bombs common?”

“Oh! Yes! Yes! General! Sephiroth, sir! Yes. Everytime the wind is south, they come floating on down and become a real bother. My! You are SOLDIERs, yes? You could take care of this little problem? Yes? We will pay you two, of course!”

“Of course,” Cloud grumbled.

“You can stay in the Inn. It will be much nicer than the Strife household, and warmer, too,” the mayor said. 

Cloud gripped his swords tighter in his hands. “Mrs. Strife’s house is just fine.” He knew he was talking through his teeth, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Once we get Mrs. Strife back home,” Sephiroth said, “we will take care of this infestation. Our wage for the mission will be determined by how many Bombs that we fight. Is that agreed?”

The mayor nodded frantically. Cloud walked past him to see his mother getting her winter clothing back. He put one sword back in its holster when another voice intruded. “I can help.”

He looked over to see Tifa standing there in her winter clothing. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. Her long dark hair was loose down her back, and she was wearing a dark green sweater with snug jeans. She was holding the other end of the cot.

“It’s too dangerous,” Cloud said simply as he grabbed the cot from both women. It was effortless for him to carry it, and he didn’t want the help of the woman that had not stood up for him when he needed it.

Not that she was able to talk for a long time, as she had been in a coma.  
“I’m not an idiot!” She stomped her foot and put her fists on her very curvy hips. “I know how to handle myself.”

“I’m sure you do. But I’m gonna take care of my mother, and we’ll take care of the monsters. Don’t follow. You don’t want to end up in another coma.” Cloud knew he was being rude but he couldn’t help himself.

His mother made a gasping sound, and he did not expect to get punched by her. He cringed and whimpered. “Ow! Why did you do that?”

“You’re being mean, Cloud! I didn’t raise you to be mean! They are kind enough to help us out with a cot. I would have phoned you, but my phone still doesn’t work. I’m sorry for worrying you, Cloud.”

He melted and looked sheepishly over to Tifa. “Sorry. But we can handle a few Bombs.”

“What about the dragons?” she demanded. She was still looking very angry. “The Bombs are coming down because of the dragons!”

“I can handle the dragons,” Sephiroth said. “Shall we get your mother home?” he said with only a simple glance over to Tifa. “The tea will be getting cold if we don’t hurry.”

Sephiroth led the way and Cloud followed after with his mother on one arm and the cot under the other. He said some quick goodbyes that were borderline rude, but Sephiroth made up for it with his manners and the promise to ensure that the Bombs were taken care of.

The walk back to the Strife household was quick, and they were back in the warmth of the house with Cloud’s mother babbling about how the monsters came out of nowhere and scared her, and how she had to run to the mayor’s house. “I’m so sorry that I worried you both.”

“It’s okay, Mama. We’ll get you a proper phone and then you can call for help anytime that you want,” Cloud said as he kissed her forehead. “We’re gonna take care of the issue and be back in time for some of that tea we made.”

“And more of the cocoa?” Sephiroth said with a look of hope on his face.

Cloud’s mother giggled and put a hand over her mouth. “Of course.”

Cloud and Sephiroth left the town and walked up the mountain. There were no more Bombs until they reached a spring of mako. The gaggle of Bombs looked as though they were trying to drink from it. 

That explained why they were going into town. They were a little crazed.

“Well, we found a pod,” Sephiroth said as he pulled out his sword.

“It appears so,” Cloud said. “You go first.”

Sephiroth nodded and lunged forward with speed that only could be seen by fellow SOLDIERs. Cloud followed behind and joined the melee. 

These Bombs were stronger than the ones that had made it into the town. 

The two SOLDIERs seemed to dance together as they fought the Bombs, as during the many battles that they fought with each other. It was a practiced routine that was beautiful to watch for anyone that was viewing, while deadly for their opponents.

It took a half an hour to destroy the pod of Bombs. Cloud panted and stood by the spring. Sephiroth came to stand in front of him and dipped his sword in the mako to clean it. Cloud watched. “Angeal would give you hell for cleaning your sword that way.”

“Angeal is not here to nag me,” Sephiroth said as he pulled it out and noticed the mako sparkling across the tempered steel. “Only you.” 

Cloud felt that Sephiroth was giving off a lot of body heat, so Cloud leaned into him. Sephiroth easily put his arm around him.

He closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed. He had been tense until now, and killing the monsters had helped to calm him down. “So, do you like my mom?”

“She’s an adorable woman. I do want to take her home and have her cook for us,” Sephiroth said. “I could go for more of the cake when we get back.”

Cloud smiled and pressed into his partner’s warmth some more. It was turning into a lovely trip back home, even with the monsters that they had to deal with, and the brief encounter with Tifa and the mayor.

“I hope Mama doesn’t lose it when I tell her about us. This whole town is so old fashioned,” Cloud groaned. “I want Mama to love you.”

“I think she already does,” Sephiroth said smugly as he dipped his sword into the spring again and lifted it to see the mako sparkle. “I charm everyone.”

“You have an ego of a Behemoth.”

“I won’t deny it,” Sephiroth said. “Do you want to search for another pod?”

“Do you think that there’s another?” 

Sephiroth shrugged. “We should go up a ways and check. Only another kilometer or so. If we don’t find one, they won’t be close enough to town to be an immediate problem. We can send some Turks to deal with the infestation after we get back.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They walked closely together up the path. They were not expecting to find anything else and Cloud was extremely distracted by Sephiroth's hand on his back. The attack was silent and caught them both off guard. They went flying in separate directions. Sephiroth flew into a bunch of trees and Cloud found himself in the very cold mako spring. 

He gasped and lost all the breath in his lungs as the cold mako-infused water washed over him. The cold made him lose his focus and and when he was able to rejoin the battle, he saw Sephiroth standing in front of the mako spring, blocking a rather large red dragon huffing and stomping toward them. Cloud jumped out of the water and it felt as if he was coated with ice.

“Zombie,” Sephiroth said in a stern voice that was common while he was in battle.

“Got it!” Cloud said and started to cast Curaga. He was strong enough with his magic that it would only take several casts of the spell to knock the zombie dragon down. Sephiroth easily dodged its attacks. Cloud should have been able to evade, but one of its large claws knocked him backward. 

It was ten minutes before the dragon seemed to be waning. Cloud was getting ready to cast the last of his MP at the dragon. The monster lunged forward causing Sephiroth to jump aside and Cloud was forced further back as its long neck thrust forward. The dragon tried to bite him, but Cloud threw his sword in front of himself, slicing into the beast’s nostril, causing it to snap its rotting mouth shut. The dragon shooks its head, took a deep breath and snorted him back into the mako spring.

When Cloud recovered from the again, he was greeted by the disintegrating head of the dragon. Sephiroth was looking over at him with concern on his face. “Are you all right, Cloud?”

Cloud shook his head and the mako-filled water sprayed around him. “C-c-cold!”

Sephiroth grabbed him out of the water and Cloud immediately wished he was back near the fireplace. It felt as though there was a knife being dragged across every inch of his body. “F-f-fuck. Is it d-d-dead?”

Sephiroth nodded and started to usher him toward the town. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around him, but Cloud did not feel the usual warmth that radiated off of him. “I think the dragon was the source of the problem,” Sephiroth said. “There’s ice in your hair." 

Cloud nodded as his teeth started to chatter so hard that he could hear clicking in his ears. He was only able to stammer out that he was cold. The leather of his jacket started to crack and creak unnaturally, and he couldn’t feel his feet. Sephiroth swept him up and ran down the mountain back toward town. Cloud wanted to yell at him to put him down. He hated being carried, but the cold that surrounded him and his numb lips kept him from protesting. He would have yelled if his teeth weren’t chattering.

“There was too much mako in that water. It must have been below freezing.”

Cloud agreed. He had been through a lot of cold experiences in his life, but this was the coldest that he had ever felt. That damn spring should have been frozen, but the mako prevented that and helped the fire Bombs turn into ice Bombs. The zombie dragon was different, but not new to the area. They tended to follow other monsters for food. 

Cloud was startled by a sudden warmth and screamed. 

He heard his mother cry out and come running over. Sephiroth started to bark orders before he was over the threshold. “He fell into the mako spring. We need blankets. Make the fire warmer, and bring tea to drink!”

Cloud blinked and Sephiroth’s hands were removing his clothes. “W-w-what are y-you d-doing?”

“I have to get these off you or else they will freeze to your skin.” 

“B-b-but, my m-m-mom … “

“I’m sure your mother has seen it all before,” Sephiroth said as his frozen sword holster and jacket fell in a sickly slump to the floor. 

“That doesn’t make it right!” Cloud said as he tried to fight Sephiroth’s fingers working on his pants. His hands were too cold to stop him and his pants were ripped from him and dropped next to the rest of his clothing. He was left shivering, cold, and feeling very naked standing in front of the fire with Sephiroth crouched in front of him.

If he hadn’t been so cold, he was certain that his face would have turned bright red. A blanket was thrown over his shoulders and Sephiroth quickly wrapped it around him and pushed him closer to the fireplace. He was placed in his mother’s chair and then Sephiroth went to remove his socks and boots. His mom started to rub his shoulders.

“Don’t rub his skin. If there are ice crystals in his cells it will cause more damage. Get the tea and a towel for his hair,” Sephiroth said. 

“Oh, yes. Of course.” She scurried into the kitchen. 

Cloud looked down at Sephiroth who had thrown his boots aside and was removing his socks. He hissed and pulled away, but Sephiroth’s burning grip kept him still. His frozen skin increasedin tingling and stinging and made him squirm. “How much m-m-mako was in that damn s-s-spring?”

“I don’t know,” Sephiroth said. “Enough to turn your hair white.”

His teeth chattered as he tried to clutch the blanket tighter to him. He felt very naked. “Great,” he mumbled. “Whiter th-th-than yours?”

Sephiroth chuckled. “Not quite. It looks like a chocobo pissed in the snow.”

He glared at him. “Y-you are not …” He started to say that Sephiroth wasn’t allowed to talk to Zack anymore. One time in a snowstorm, Zack had made that stupid joke that made no sense, but it had stuck. Between his chattering teeth and with his mother standing there holding the tea, he stopped himself from continuing. However he could tell that Sephiroth knew what he was going to say by the smile he gave him.

“Here you go, Cloudy,” his mother said and held out the tea in her hand. He tried to reach out for it but his hand was shaking too much. “I’ll help you.” She put the cup carefully to his lips. She filled it full of sugar and honey and the temperature was just right. She gave him a small sip.

“Th-th-thanks, M-M-Mama.”

“Do you have some thick socks?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Of course. I’ll get the woolies. We’ll have him warmed up in no time.”

It didn’t take long for Cloud to have thick socks that nearly reached his knees slipped onto his feet, extra blankets thrown over his shoulder and lap, a towel wrapped in his hair to keep it from dripping on him, and two cups of tea poured down his throat. He was soon warmer and was able to hold his own cup.

Sephiroth rubbed his hair and released it from the towel. He could see his mother trying to hide her laugh. “I think you need a hair cut.”

“It’s fine.”

“It looks more chocobo-ish right now,” Sephiroth said and pulled out his phone. If he wasn’t naked under the blankets, he would have jumped up to try to take the phone. As it was, all he could do was glare at his boyfriend as the phone clicked.

“I could give it a little trim, Cloudy,” his mother offered. “We can wait until you are properly warmed up.”

“Thanks, Mama,” Cloud said fondly. “I could use a trim.” He narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend. “Don’t you dare send that picture!”

“Too late,” Sephiroth said and closed his phone. He sat on the loveseat close to him. He patted his arm. “Are you feeling warmer?”

“Yeah. Stupid mako spring,” Cloud grumbled, and then yawned.

“Do you want to move to the loveseat?” Cloud’s mother asked.

He nodded. It was the same couch that his mother had when he was a kid, and he remembered it being very comfortable then. He would fall asleep on it after cold days in the mountains, with a blanket over his shoulder and a cup of cocoa in his hands.

Sephiroth helped him up and Cloud was surprised at how stiff his joints were. The stupid spring really did a job on him. He moved to the couch with great difficulty and flopped down.

It was as comfortable as he remembered. Sephiroth lifted his feet onto one end and adjusted his blankets, and his mother got him a pillow. She also made sure that his cup was within reach.

Sephiroth took the chair and started to poke at the fire. Fingers ran through Cloud’s damp, but no longer cold, hair. “Thanks, Mama.”

“Of course, Bubbles,” she said.

“Mom,” he whined. He hated that old nickname. 

“Bubbles?” Sephiroth asked as he turned to look at them. 

“Well, you see,” she started. Cloud put his head under the pillow and groaned loudly. “When I would give him baths as a baby, he would always make lots of bubbles. He had to have a bubble bath and he would …”

“Mama,” Cloud groaned and wished he could crawl under the couch and hide. He didn’t need anyone to know that.

“... fart up a storm and laugh at all the bubbles he created. It was never hard to get him to bathe.”

Sephiroth laughed. It was a hearty laugh that he only shared with his friends, and had Cloud not been so embarrassed by his mom telling that story, he would have loved to see the look on Sephiroth’s face.

“Bubbles, eh?” Sephiroth said. Cloud could feel his hand squeeze his leg and he kicked at him.

“Don’t you dare tell that to anyone!” He peeked out from under his pillow and saw the smug ass looking at him with a glow on his face. “Ever!”

He put his head back under the pillow and grunted.

“He’s always been so stubborn and headstrong,” she said and patted the pillow over his head.

“I have encountered that a few times,” Sephiroth said and grabbed Cloud’s foot to keep him from kicking him again. 

“Now, can you tell me what happened up there?” 

Sephiroth started to explain about the pod of Bombs and the zombie dragon that pushed Cloud into the mako spring, but with the comfort of the loveseat, with his mother stroking his hair, and Sephiroth patting his leg, Cloud was asleep before the explanation was finished

* * *

Sephiroth could hear that Cloud was sleeping as his breathing evened out and his muscles relaxed. All the tension left his body and the pillow fell off his head.

“You really care for him, don’t you?” Cloud’s mother asked as she continued to stroke her son’s very wild yellow hair.

“I do. He is one of the best SOLDIERs that I’ve ever encountered.” Sephiroth had a bit of a panic when Cloud had fallen into the frozen water and with how he reacted when he came out for the second time. Cloud was one of the best SOLDIERs when it came to tolerating the cold, even when was submerged in water. They all had the training to deal with the extreme cold, but the sheen to his skin and the pain look on his face told him that the mako had shocked him to his limits. 

As soon as Cloud began to warm up, Sephiroth could see the sheen disappear and knew that his boyfriend was going to be okay. A small setback was all that it was. Sephiroth knew that he was going to have to buy him a whole new set of clothes as he doubted that they were salvageable from how he removed them. He doubted that Cloud even realized that he cut them off as the mako and ice had done too much damage anyway.

“He’s more than another SOLDIER to you, isn’t he?” asked Cloud’s mother suddenly, staring right at him. Sephiroth felt his heart jump into his throat as her piercing blue eyes narrowed at him. She did not stop stroking Cloud’s hair.

Should he answer? Cloud was the one that should tell her, but she was asking if he was more than just a friend, wasn’t she? His hand froze on Cloud’s leg and he chewed his lip. He lowered his head and looked away as he tried to gather his thoughts on how he could answer her and not tell her that they had been living together for two years and that they weren’t just roommates.

“He’s my best friend,” Sephiroth said, finally able to come up with something and not give their relationship away. “I wouldn’t know what I would do without him.” He knew that part was too much because her blue eyes grew wide and then narrowed.

He had dealt with armies roaring down on him, dragons that wanted to eat him, Hojo wanting to experiment with him, and guarding Rufus. He should be able to talk to Cloud’s mother without his stomach tying itself in knots. 

“It’s okay,” she said as she smoothed out Cloud’s hair. The action did nothing to tame the wildness. It never did. 

Instead of saying something, Sephiroth kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to make the situation into a bad one, and as much as he really liked Cloud’s mother, he still didn’t know her all that well. He also didn’t want Cloud to wake up and find out that he was not welcome anymore in the house he grew up in.

“He always tried so hard to be accepted by the other children in town,” she whispered. “He was always different than the other boys and they bullied him for it.” Her hand stopped in his hair and she let out a sigh. “I tried to change Cloud so that he would fit in, but it didn’t work. When I asked him if he liked any girls, he would roll his eyes.”

“But he did like Tifa,” Sephiroth said. He knew Cloud’s side of the story.

“Yes. But not like how the other boys did. He saw her as a strong girl and a fighter. Not just the rich girl down the street. I think that is why they got along. Things could have been different if the rest of the town didn’t shun him after she was hurt. He saved her and she didn’t say anything until years later.” She licked her lips and looked at the fire. “But things have turned out for the better for him. He’s the SOLDIER he dreamed of becoming. He’s going to be a First Class and I’m assuming that he is in love with you, and vice versa.”

Sephiroth ducked his head further and stared at the floor. He tried to control the blush that was creeping across his cheeks. He never blushed, but it seemed that both Cloud and Mrs. Strife were destined to evoke those feelings in him.

“It was very obvious with the way you took care of Cloud when he came to the house." She stopped stroking his hair and touched his forehead with the back of her hand. She seemed content with his temperature.

Sephiroth cleared his throat and looked up at her through his bangs. She didn't look upset or angry like how Cloud had worried she would.

"It's that obvious?" he finally said as he was able to meet her eyes again.

"Very much so," she said and kissed Cloud’s forehead. "My only disappointment is that I won't have grandchildren to spoil."

"We can adopt," Sephiroth said. "Even though we hadn't planned on that for a while."

"You talked about kids?"

"Cloud mentioned that it was a regular topic in your letters," Sephiroth said. “There are a lot of orphans because of the war. I'm sure we can find a few that won't mind living with two retired SOLDIERs. When we retire." 

"That would be wonderful," she said with a wide smile. "Any thoughts of when you are going to retire?"

"I have five more years left on my contract, and Cloud has fifteen."

For a moment, she looked crushed. She put a hand on her chest and tilted her head. It was a move that he had seen Cloud do when he was disturbed over something. "Do you know where you are going to retire?"

"Cloud mentioned something about raising chocobos." Sephiroth hadn't thought too much about retirement. Shin-Ra had been his whole life until he met Cloud. He was still having a hard time realising that he could be separate from the organization.

"That sounds like a nice plan," she said and resumed stroking her son's hair. "He was always good with animals."

Cloud moved on the couch and pulled his hands under his chin and let out a deep sigh.

He even smiled.

"Cloud is so happy," she said. 

Sephiroth wanted to take a picture of how cute Cloud looked at the moment. It was seldom that he was so content, and it was nice to see him that way.

"I didn't know I could be happy until I met your son," Sephiroth confessed as he adjusted the blanket on Cloud’s feet. 

Cloud’s mother smiled brighter than before. "Would you like some tea or cocoa, Sephiroth?"

"Cocoa, please. With marshmallows." Sephiroth was not a fan of sweets, but her cocoa was addicting.

"Of course." She stood up slowly, patted his head as if he were a pet and went into the kitchen.

Normally he would have been appalled by someone touching him, but the gesture made him blush once more, which he tried to hide by ducking his head again. 

Sephiroth made himself comfortable on the floor and listened to Mrs. Strife working in the kitchen, humming softly as she made the cocoa. She even cooked the milk on the stove instead of a microwave. Then he noted that she didn’t have a microwave.

He was going to have to remind Cloud that he was serious about taking her with them back to Midgar to cook for them.

* * *

Cloud woke up in front of a roaring fire and with Sephiroth dozing on the floor while leaning against the couch. He grabbed a handful of his silky silver hair and tugged slightly.

"Hey?" he whispered knowing that Sephiroth would wake up quickly.

Sephiroth’s head turned and he looked at him with concerned green eyes. "Ah, you're awake." He shuffled himself around so that he was kneeling on the floor and his hair threaded through Cloud’s fingers until the length was gone. "Did you have a good rest?"

"I did," Cloud said and stretched. He realised that he was still naked and reached for the blanket to keep his groin covered. "There are always good memories here at home.”

Sephiroth leaned forward and kissed him. For a moment Cloud forgot where he was and allowed it. Then he realized he was sitting on his mother’s couch in his mother’s house and he was kissing his boyfriend.

Pulling away, he looked around the room to make sure his mother wasn’t watching. “Where’s Mama?” he asked.

“She had to check on an egg at the chocobo barn, and I asked her to pick up some sticky buns at the bakery we passed as we drove into town,“ Sephiroth said. “I had to beg her to take the gil to pay for them.”

“I told you that Mama is a proud woman.” Cloud sighed and leaned back on the couch and looked toward the window. He could see that it was well into the day. “I slept a long time. You should have woke me.”

“You were too cute … ow!” Sephiroth said as he was abruptly kicked. Cloud knew that it didn’t hurt him by the grin on his face. “You are, and there is no denying it.”

“Jerk.”

“Diva.”

“We decided that name was set aside for Genesis,” Cloud said.

Sephiroth tsked as he slid next to his boyfriend on the couch and held him close to him. He kissed him again. Cloud whimpered and told him not in his mother’s house, but Sephiroth didn’t stop and knew that it would break him down soon enough. It wasn’t long before Sephiroth was kissing his neck, one arm wrapped around his back and Cloud’s hand fisting his hair with abandoned passion.

Sephiroth even forgot himself in the moment when his other hand reached for Cloud’s awaking groin through the blankets. He stopped immediately when the door opened with a loud creak and bang. He found his cheeks burning and he jumped back from a flustered-looking Cloud.

“Well, I can’t leave you two alone for a moment!” Mrs. Strife jested.

Cloud gasped and pulled the blanket over top of him as he looked at his mother. “Mama!”

She stomped the snow off her boots and looked at them both. “I brought sticky buns! And when you both can get dressed properly, you can come have tea with them.”

Cloud swallowed and nodded. “All right, Mama.” He gathered the blankets around himself and glared at Sephiroth. 

“Good. I want to hear all about how you two met and got together!” she said and walked into the kitchen.

Cloud nearly dropped the blanket and looked to Sephiroth. 

“I didn’t tell her. She asked and I wasn’t going to deny it.” He took a step back to avoid Cloud swinging at him, which caused the blond man to nearly drop the blankets.

“It was a little obvious, Bubbles,” his mother called from the kitchen.

Sephiroth watched Cloud’s face turn bright red, with his hands clutching the blanket and his mouth open like a gaping fish. Sephiroth kissed his cheek and pulled him close. “I think your Mama likes me.”

Pulling away, he gave Cloud’s ass, which was half bare, a hearty slap and then went to help Cloud’s mother in the kitchen. He heard a frustrated scream as Cloud went into his old bedroom and slammed the door firmly behind him.

“He still slams doors when he’s frustrated?” she asked.

Sephiroth nodded and took the bag of sticky buns from her. “All the time.”

Cloud’s mother went about boiling the water to make the tea, and Sephiroth set the table to have a nice breakfast. When Cloud came out of his room, he was wearing a pair of loose sweatpants and a very tight black shirt with the faded words ‘SILVER ELITE’ printed on the front. It was Sephiroth’s turn to look confused and bewildered.

“I never thought any of your old clothes would fit you!” she said as she put the pot of tea on the table.

“It’s a little snug,” Cloud said, “but I can still wear it.” It outlined every single muscle that his chest had, and the long sleeves made his arms look more muscular.

“Very snug.”

Cloud’s mother rolled her eyes. “Sit down, both of you. I want to hear about all the stuff that Cloud has not been telling me in the very few letters and phone calls that I have received.”

Cloud looked slightly ashamed as he sat down. Sephiroth sat closer to him than yesterday since they no longer had to keep their relationship secret. Cloud’s mother poured the tea as Cloud started to speak nervously about how they first met. Gradually his voice calmed as he told her how they started to see each other, to dating, to love, to moving in together, and to how they planned on staying together for the rest of their lives. Sephiroth added his own comments here and there and Mrs. Strife quietly sipped her tea and listened to the wonderful story. Her heart warmed with the happiness knowing that her son was happy, and that made her house even warmer on a cold day.


End file.
